School Days: Targeting Utah’s Spotted ’Cats

Girl takes tips from trapping DVD and applies them to her bobcat trapline

I have been trapping for four years. This year has been my personal best.

We mainly trapped bobcats because of the prices being paid on good Western bobcats. I also wanted to try out sets that I learned from a bobcat trapping DVD.

My dad and I started scouting for bobcats in early August. Using trail cams, we got video of bobcats, gray foxes, coyotes, badgers and a lot of rabbits. Where we found a lot of cottontail rabbits, we also found bobcats.

Finally, trapping season started. I was so excited. My dad and I were trapping ’cats high up in the southern Utah mountains. I took the lessons I learned from the DVDs I watched and used them on our bobcat lines. I used sets that kept coyotes out but caught lots of bobcats.

The second day of bobcat season, I was sick, but my mom let me go check traps with my dad. I had to make a long ride on the ATV to get to our traps. Because I was sick, my dad would hike to the sets and check them while I lay down on the ATV.

At the second trap, I could hear my dad yelling at me to bring the GoPro video camera and a snare. I got excited, but I could still feel my strep throat. As I got closer, I was asking him what I caught, but all he was doing was smiling. I finally got over to my set and there was a bobcat staring at us.

It was fun. I can’t wait for next season!

“School Days” is sponsored by Duke Traps and the Wisconsin Trappers Association. Winners receive six traps, a Wisconsin Cooperative Trapper Education video, an NTA handbook and a membership to their state’s trappers association. To be considered, send a 300- to 500-word story and photo of the trapper to School Days, The Trapper & Predator Caller, 700 E. State St., Iola, WI 54990; or email the story and photo to jared.blohm@fwmedia.com. Please make sure to include the trapper’s name, age and address.